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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 21, 2005 Ashland’s Morgan, Hemphill claim third-place medals By JOE ZAVALA for the Mail Tribune EUGENE — Two Ashland High distance runners challenged for state championships and both were happy to leave Hayward Field with third-place medals around their necks. Ashland senior David Morgan took third in the boys 3,000-meter run, and Ashland junior Natalie Hemphill did the same in the girls 3,000, as the Grizzlies turned a wet and dreary day into a cause for celebration Friday at the Class 4A track and field state championships. Ashland’s only other state qualifier, 14-year-old freshman long jumper Jordan Kling, advanced to the finals before settling for seventh place. Morgan, who raced first, and Hemphill both ran with the lead pack for most of their races before succumbing in the final lap. Morgan led with 600 meters to go before Zuber Ahmed of Benson turned on the afterburners and ran away from the field. Ahmed, who entered the race with the top qualifying time, won in 8 minutes, 20.50 seconds, while Central Catholic’s Kenny Klotz finished second in 8:21.24. Advertisement Morgan dropped out of contention over the last 200 meters but used a late speed burst to pass Jesuit’s Michael Maag just before the finish. "I was like, ‘I really don’t want fourth, I want third,’ and I sprinted," Morgan said. Morgan’s time of 8:25.54 shaved six seconds off his personal record. "It was great," he added. "It couldn’t have gone better. On that last lap, everybody threw in a huge kick, and I tried going with them, but I guess I just wasn’t fast enough. I don’t know, I just kind of lost my focus there for a few seconds. I kind of regained it on the last 150 meters. I was determined to make one more try. "I haven’t had good races the last few years at state, so that was really awesome." Hemphill, who will be running in the 1,500 today, entered state with the 12th best qualifying time out of 18 runners but proved she was a contender early on. After muscling her way to the front quarter of the pack, she took off with Erin Gray of South Eugene and Claire Michel of Clackamas. The threesome, with Michel in the lead and Hemphill third, left everybody behind and, with one lap to go, were separated by only one stride. Only seconds into that final lap, Michel, a sophomore who entered the meet with the top qualifying time by more than seven seconds, unleashed the kick Hemphill predicted two days prior and devoured the field over the last 300 meters. Michel won in 10:07.39, Gray was second in 10:12.56 and Hemphill was ecstatic to take third in 10:14.61, a personal record by seven seconds. "I held on for my life," she said, still struggling to catch her breath moments before the awards ceremony. "Before the race, I was like, ‘Just breathe while you still can,’ so it’s a good thing. I’m really happy." Hemphill stuck to her plan, which was to find Michel early in the race and stick to her like glue regardless of the pace. By the end, Hemphill said, she was fighting to keep her position, unaware that her lead over fourth-place finisher Kris Thomasberg (10:25.15) was more than secure. "I just had to convince myself that I could do it, and then I just had to hang on as long as possible," Hemphill said. "Coach said to just keep shooting for first, don’t give up, don’t take second and I took third, but hey, that’s how it goes. I’m ready for tomorrow." Kling, one week removed from winning the Southern Oregon Conference championship, wasn’t nearly as satisfied with her performance despite a berth in the finals. She leaped 17 feet, 2¼ inches on her second jump to qualify for the final round, which included the top nine competitors. There, she couldn’t surpass 17-1 and scratched on her second attempt. Benson senior Sara Callier went 18-4¾ to win the event easily. Her second best jump of 17-10 also could have beaten runner-up Samantha Berryman of Lakeridge (17-8½ ). Kling, one of five freshmen in the 18-girl field, was frustrated afterward. "I was really hoping to get a PR (personal record) and I didn’t," she said. "I just didn’t feel very good about it. (The experience) will help, definitely, but it’s just tough to get over it." Joe Zavala is sports editor of the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach him at 482-3456. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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